Kettle Corn

You are going to need a Whirley Pop! If you don't have one buy one right this second. You won't regret it. I'm not sure but you might need a kid too! If you don't have a kid to help you, you can act like a kid yourself! You'll need to, cause this is POPPING GOOD FUN!

You can purchase a Whirley Pop on line or at Bed, Bath and Beyond. Smart people use a 20 percent coupon for BB&B. I was not smart. I just ran right out and bought it. I forgot all about the coupon!

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Oil
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Pop Corn kernels good for popping.

Heat oil in the bottom of your Whirley Pop. on Med. High heat. To begin with just add 4 kernels of Corn. When they pop then add 1/2 cup pop corn kernels and 1/3 Cup sugar and WHIRL away!  You know me and sugar. I'm always very generous on the sugar.

Once you've got that in the pan, spin quickly and evenly. Spin the handle and keep the popcorn moving the entire time you are popping it. Towards the end, your hand may get hot. I like to wear jersey gloves. They work perfectly! Cook till it's over flowing! When the kernels start popping wildly and the handle gets hard to spin, I lift it off the heat so nothing burns. Pour into a large bowl, stir and break apart if needed and sprinkle with salt to your liking. Get ready to make a second batch cause the first one will disappear in the blink of an eye!

Thank you Becci Kohler. You are the greatest cook I know! (She's Martha Stewart. Heck she's better than Martha Stewart.) If I have anything that tastes good at all, half the time it came from Becci! Love Ya.

Got A Whirley Pop? If Not ---Get One Today!

This is a Whirley Pop. You just gotta get one! Seriously!!! It not only pops corn, it pops out fun and deliciousness all at once.

I just bought one last night at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and I can't wait to use it! I'm firing it up today! And come Super Bowl Sunday, this thing is going to be whirling and popping out the whitest stuff I've seen this winter! Yes, I'll have to shovel, but only from hand to mouth! Ha!

I have a friend who is Martha Stewart the second. Any time I travel over to her house I learn something new about cooking. Invariably, I always walk out the door uplifted and with a new recipe to try out. Besides going on and on about her cooking, I could write paragraph after paragraph about her creativity and her quick witted way of making a home just a lovely place to live. Becci Kohler! I love you!!! So when I give you an "Idea By Becci." Hop to it! You won't be disappointed.

I love going to Beccs'! Yesterday, I snacked on the best pop corn I've had since Raspberry days. I love Kettle Corn but I usually can't find the kind I like unless there is some big event that is conducive to those folks who like to bring their giant Kettle Drums, cooking it and selling it to Kettle Corn fans, like me. Not anymore. Yesterday I sat at Becci's house and ate nearly a whole bowl full while she filled me in on the art of making it. I went on and on about how much I loved it and she, like always, copied down the recipe and showed me what to go out and buy.

Thanks Becci. You motivate me! Check out her recipe for Kettle Corn on the side under the category "Something Sweet"!

Mom's Rice Pudding

If you don't like rice pudding, you're nuts! Don't add raisins to the recipe and I got nuts. You can't have rice pudding without raisins! It's unamerican! Can you tell I'm crazy about rice pudding with raisins? As a kid I use to beg my friends to give me their rice pudding on the days it was served at my elementary school. Good ole PC elementary served the best rice pudding ever.

My mom made yummy rice pudding all the time. I learned to love it and make it as a kid. If you don't have time to make it try Chuck A Rama and Deseret Book, they serve great rice pudding.

Trying this recipe today. :)

White Rice
Sugar
Whole Milk ( I like to use half and half)
2 Eggs
Corn Starch
Lemon Juice
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Put 1/2 cup of uncooked white rice and 1 cup of water in a sauce pan. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for about 14 min. all water should be absorbed. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 1/2 cup of sugar, 1 Tb of corn starch, dash of salt, and 2 beaten eggs, and 2 & 1/2 cups of milk. Beat w/beaters. Add 1 Tb of lemon juice, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 Tb of vanilla to the mixture. Add the rice. Mix and sprinkle with nutmeg & cinnamon. Put in a buttered 1 & 1/2 Qt. casserole dish. You will want to put the casserole dish inside another dish that contains some water. Bake about 1 & 1/2 hours.

Serve with a big fat dollop of whipping creme. OK, maybe two of three big fat dollops!

Spinach Feta Pasta

Spinach and Feta Pasta

Recipe by Our Best Bites

This is one of my new favorite pasta dishes.  It is so easy and so yummy!  I like to serve it with garlic bread.  Try it out!  You'll love it!

8 oz. Penne pasta (that’s 1/2 a 16 oz. box. Don’t use ziti–you want the ridges on the penne to “grip” the sauce) I used bowtie noodles and they worked good too.
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
3 c. fresh spinach (you don’t even have to chop it! Could life get any better??)
1 onion, finely chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
A handful of fresh mushrooms, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add pasta. Cook according to package directions. In the meantime, heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms and cook until tender. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add tomatoes, heat through, and then add drained pasta and crumbled feta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve; you can crumble a little extra feta on top if you feel the urge. Even my pickiest eater loves this meal, so you really can’t go wrong! Got a little extra time on your hands? Try serving it with Rosemary Focaccia or Garlic Breadsticks.
Serves 8
Nutritional Information
Calories: 186
Fat: 5.3
Fiber: 3.4

Try This New App

Here's a post you won't want to miss.

I found a new app for my beloved iPhone! It's awesome!  Check out ZipList

Yesterday I went to the store and instead of forgetting everything I needed for a new recipe, I just pulled open my Zip List. Since I'm always forgetting stuff it felt good to have my list right at my finger tips. Try it. I'm sold!

No Bake Cookies

Today I feel like a cookie! Today I don't feel like baking! I don't feel like exercising either. This is not a good combination. This recipe has been around the block more than once. Who hasn't had a no bake cookie? Pull this recipe out when the Grandkids come over. They'll love you. 

Ingredients:
1/4 or 1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup milk
3 cups oats
2 or 3 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

I've seen this recipe call for 1/4 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of butter. I've also seen this recipe call for 2 cups of sugar and I've seen it call for 3 cups of sugar. You can probably figure out which recipe I use. 


In a sauce pan, stir sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. (For peanut-butter cookies omit the cocoa. They're yummy.) Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for one minute. Remove from heat and quickly add peanut butter, vanilla, and oats. Stir until evenly mixed. Spoon onto waxed paper. Let cool. Make sure you don't make these cookies when no one is home or when people come home, they'll be no cookies. 

Super Bowl Pepperoni and Sausage Stromboli

If you ask my kids if they love my homemade rolls, they'll tell you they are simply to die for. If you want my recipe, here it is: Run to your local supermarket and buy some frozen Rhodes Bake and Serve Gourmet Dinner Rolls. Go home, Pam the heck out of your muffin tins, pop two frozen rolls in each little compartment, let them raise, when they're nice and fluffy, throw them in the oven for 15 min at 350. How's that for simple? I don't care what anyone says. They are just as good as homemade. Ok, maybe, sorta, almost. My family loves Rhodes!


Now for something good for Super Bowl Sunday.  


Stromboli originated in 1950 in Philadelphia, at Romano's Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria. There, Nazzareno Romano gave it the name, after the movie Stromboli, starring Ingrid Bergman. Now that you know where it came from, get ready for Super Bowl Sunday.


This is a simple thing to make, and it tastes divine.

Ingredients:

• 1 Loaf Rhodes™ Frozen Bread Dough, thawed to room temperature
• ½ c. pizza sauce
• ½ t. dried oregano
• ½ t. dried basil
• 3 oz. sliced pepperoni
• 1 lb. sausage, cooked & drained
• 3 T. chopped onion
• 2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
• 3 T. grated Parmesan cheese
• Sesame seeds, if desired

Method:

Spray counter or board with non-stick cooking spray. Roll dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle. Spread dough with pizza sauce to within 1-inch of edges. Sprinkle sauce with oregano and basil. Layer middle third of dough, vertically, with pepperoni, sausage, onion, and mozzarella cheese. Fold ⅓ of dough over fillings. Repeat with remaining side. Tuck ends under and vent top with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and sesame seeds, if desired. Place on large sprayed baking sheet. Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes.


For more recipes visit www.rhodesbread.com

Watch Studio 5 for an actual how to video

Lasagna Soup

Going to be trying this today. Going to go for the Slow Cooker recipe. Got a lot on my plate today, figuratively speaking, no time to fuss about what's for dinner. Cross your fingers

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 5 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 1/2 cups quartered fresh mushrooms
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

In a large pot over medium heat, cook and stir the ground beef until evenly brown; drain. Mix the water, tomatoes, mushrooms, green bell pepper, onion, and garlic into the pot with the beef. Season with basil, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes. Mix the feta cheese into the soup, and continue cooking about 15 minutes before serving.

Now for the Slow Cooker Version.

The Ingredients:
1 pound Italian sausage links, cut into bite-sized pieces with the casings (Try Johnsonville Mild Italian Sausage) 
1 large onions, diced 
5 garlic cloves, minced 
1 Tbsp dried oregano 
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste 
2 (15 oz) cans petite diced tomatoes 
2 bay leaves 6 cups chicken broth or 
6 cups of water with 6 crushed bouillon cubes Salt and pepper, to taste 
2 cups rotini pasta (or other similar pasta) 
15 oz container Ricotta cheese, for topping 
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, for topping 


The How To's
In a large slow cooker, combine the sausage, onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, bat leaves, and broth. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, add in pasta. When ready to serve, preheat broiler. Dish up soup into oven-proof bowls. Top each bowl with a spoonful of ricotta and a sprinkling of shredded mozzarella. Place under broiler for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is hot and melted.

Tater Tot Casserole

It's by no means new! It's not even pleasant to look at. No matter. The point is when you're starving it tastes dang good. Another thing I love about this humble dish is it's fast, it's easy, and it's pretty cheap. I'm a farmer's daughter and I always have lots of ground beef in the freezer. This dish is often the one I fall back on when I don't want to think about what to cook for dinner. Besides when you tell your grandkids you're having Tater Tot Casserole it immediately fools them into liking it.

Enjoy this old tried and true recipe.

The Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onions
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 oz.)
1 cup milk
1 pkg. tater tots (32 oz.) Use Orida, my favorite.
1 can of corn drained (15 oz.)
2 cups med. shredded cheddar cheese. I like to add a little shredded pepper jack too. Yum!

The How To's
Preheat the oven to 375. Brown your beef in a skillet with the chopped onions. Be sure to salt and pepper this. Fully cook and then drain off the grease. Add the soup and the milk to the mixture. I like to add a nice dollop of butter while it's hot and stir that in as well.  Now spray your 9 x13 baking dish with Pam. Never buy Walmart's Great Value cooking spray. It's worthless! Now spread your tater tots in the bottom of the dish.  I like to sprinkle more salt and pepper here too. Now sprinkle the corn over the tater tots. Sometimes I use frozen green beans instead. I love green beans! Now pour the meat mixture over that and top the whole dish with plenty of cheese. Cover it with foil and Bake for 35 min at 375. I wish I had a pan of it right now!

Corn Pops Gone Wild

I've gone a little crazy for Sweet Covered Corn Pops. I'm also tired of hunting down the recipe for each kind. I can find any recipe here on the blog with my iPhone, so here they are. Aren't I organized? Boycott your New Year's resolutions and try them all. Then join me at the gym!

Sugar Pops

1 Large Bag of Corn Pops

1 lb. Butter 

2 Cups Sugar

1/4 Cup Water

In a Sauce pan, melt 1 pound of butter ---yes, that's four squares. I know, your bathroom scale is going to love this! Next add 2 heaping cups of sugar and stir over med. heat constantly until dissolved. Never leave this pan unattended! It will burn. Next add the water. Bring it to a little simmering bubbly formation. Continue to simmer and stir for 7 minuets. Place your pops in a big bowl, pour mixture over them and devour.

Some like em' Caramel crunchy, some like em' Caramel soft. Some like em' sweet. I've tried the sweet they're addicting. Going to try them crunchy and soft when I work off the sweet. Lol.You decide which way you like them. They are all delicious!

Caramel Corn Pops Soft1 (18 oz.) bag Corn Curls (pops) or Kettle Pops. Any brand will do.

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 square butter (1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup of light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. water
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Bring butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla and water to a medium boil. Stir continuously. Boil for 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Remove from heat. Add baking soda, coating will puff up. Pour over corn pops or kettle pops; toss.

Carmel Corn Pops Crunchy

One 8 oz. bag of Barrel O' Fun Corn Pops. Empty bag in large roasting pan.
Caramel Coating
Mix in 2 qt. sauce pan
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda


While mixing, cook for two minutes or until bubbly around the edges, remove from heat. Add 1 tsp. baking soda to cause foaming (this will allow for proper coating of pops). Pour caramel slurry over corn pops and stir until pops are properly coated. Place in 250 degree F. oven for approximately 45 minutes stirring every ten minutes. Remove from oven and pour onto waxed paper. Break apart to desired piece size before pops can cool.

Quinoa Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Feta

I've been reading about blood sugar. I've been searching for foods to eat that don't immediately turn to sugar in your blood. Sugar creates belly fat. I'd like to get rid of some of that. While it's true I need to stop eating so much candy, the research I've been doing also targets foods that quickly turn to sugar, raising your blood sugar levels. 

I've been reading all about Quinoa - pronounced Keen Wah. Quinoa is officially a low glycemic food. Check out this article at Live Strong. I haven't made this salad yet but it sounded good and Craig, my son-in-law, gave me a bag of quinoa to try.  I'm on my way to the grocery store to load up. Try this. See what you think.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped walnuts, divided
• 3 cups quinoa, cooked (about 1 cup uncooked)
• 2 apples, peeled and cut in 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped
• 2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 6 green onions, diced or snipped, bulbs discarded
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, a fruity one
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• sea salt and fresh black pepper

Instructions

1. In a small skillet over medium heat toast walnuts about 5 minutes stirring often. Remove and allow to cool. Add olive oil, 1/3 cup of the toasted walnuts and lemon juice to a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl combine quinoa, apples, cranberries, feta cheese, green onions and the remaining walnuts. Pour dressing over top and stir well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Best eaten at room temperature.

Notes

-This is lightly dressed, if you like a lot of dressing double the recipe.

-Substitute a different cooked grain or couscous for the quinoa.

Thanks C.G.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

You'll either love it or hate it. That's how it is when it comes to Cherries and Chocolate. There is no middle ground. Count me among the lovers! I love anything Cherry surrounded by chocolate! This is moist and absolutely scrumptious. Drink it with a cold glass of milk for total ecstasy!

Cake:

1 box devil’s food cake mix

21 oz can Cherry Pie filling

2 eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

~mix those together by hand in a bowl and spread into a greased 9×13 inch pan.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Cool slightly.

Frosting:

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup milk

5 Tbsp. Butter

1 cup chocolate chips

~ stir in a heavy pot over med-low heat, first 3 ingredients.  bring to a bowl for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  remove from heat and mix in chocolate chips until smooth.  Poor over slightly cooled cake.   Allow to cool more before serving (or not… )

Thanks to my friend Lacey Meyer for sharing.

Chicken Paillard & Ponzu Dressing

Many of you know Glade loves to cook. When ever he makes a nice chicken Breast dish he loves to pound the chicken thin. Today I found a great recipe and tried it myself.  It's a fast and delicious healthy dish! I loved it! Serve it with a light salad topped with a Ponzu dressing.  It makes for a nice light dinner if you overindulged your way through Christmas.

Here's the ingredients you'll need for the Chicken Paillard
4 Chicken Breasts pounded flat
coat with extra virgin Olive oil
4 sprigs of chopped thyme
2 Tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 lemon zested and juiced
White grape juice to taste
Season with course salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup Chicken stock

Pound your Chicken breasts 1/4 inch flat. To avoid splattering pound between two thin sheets of Saran wrap. Coat with a tablespoon or so of extra virgin Olive oil. Take your kitchen tongs and gently place flattened breasts in a nice hot oiled skillet. Season with Parsley, Thyme, salt , pepper and any other seasonings your prefer. Zest with lemon. Cook about two to three minutes on each side, depending on how flat your Chicken is. Make sure the color is nice and white being fully cooked through. Brown on both sides. When thoroughly browned add your Chicken stock and grape juice, cover and simmer a 4-8 minutes. Serve on nice bed of salad greens.

Ingredients and instructions for the Ponzu Dressing that goes on your salad greens.
Combine
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 Cup extra virgin Olive oil
1 tsp fresh Ginger minced
1 clove Garlic minced
1 spring Onion or Scallion minced

Stir well and serve on nice bed of greens. I like to toss in a few slivered almonds on top of my salad.

Recipe by Marlon Alexander

Beef or Chicken Taco Soup? You Pick

I've been on a real soup kick lately.  I love making soup in the winter! It's my favorite!  All of it's fast and easy including the clean up. I can never remember Em's taco soup recipe so I always call her when I'm making it. Yesterday I decided to make a pan, trouble is Em wasn't home, so I drummed up my own version. I had my sister's family over to eat it and they loved it. Here it is.

Brown a pound of hamburger and 1/2 of an onion thinly diced.
Remove any grease and add the following ingredients.
(Beans and Corn are drained!)
3 to 4 cups water
1 Tblsp. beef bullion (Try the "Better than Beef Bullion" it's the best!
1/2 Tblsp chicken bullion (Try the "Better than Chicken Bullion."
4 15oz cans kidney beans
1 15oz can corn
1 15oz can black beans
3 15oz cans stewed tomatoes (blended)
(I put my stewed tomatoes in the blender because I don't care for the big tomato chunks. I also think if you  like your soup spicy the Mexican stewed tomatoes would be really good in this.)
3 8oz cans tomato sauce.
add 1 packet Taco Seasoning.
Salt and pepper to taste
And the final ingredient that makes all the difference in this recipe.
A chunk of BUTTER the size of a large walnut. Maybe a little more! 
Top with any kind of cheese and sour cream if you like and crack out the tortilla chips. Ummm good!

This recipe I'm trying today. I'll let you know how it tastes.

Chicken Taco Soup
3 large chicken breasts cooked and shredded
1 can chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
1/2 block Velveeta (cubed)
1 can Rotel original or mild
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 cups of water
1 bag chips of your choice (Doritos, or any tortilla)